Clock



Sept. 8, 1931.

PLBAUMGARTEN CLOCK hvVen/Oru' fa Saum ar/Pn Filed Aug. 2, 1928 YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHI 30 tion of the Patented Sept. 8, 1331 PAUL BAUMGARTEN, OF BERLIN-HALENSEE,

GERMANY, ASSIGNOB, TO BAGA G. M. B. 1L, OF BERLIN, GERMANY CLOCK Application filed August 2, 1928, Serial No. 297,083, and in-Germany August 8, 1927.

This invention relates to a clock with a transparent clock body, and is characterized by a clock body loosely revolving upon guiding means on a casing, rotated bya driving wheel on the fixed casing, and held in its running path, with a dial plate stationary therein and held upright, and with a dial train set in motion by the latter relatively to the main drive that rotates the sphere, and independent of an internal stationary casing drive. I

he arrangement may be so made that either the entire dial train receives its drive through the relative motion, or one portion revolves fast with the clock body and the other portion is driven separately, in that it un-winds itself for example with its drive on a revolving wheel of the clock body.

In order to prevent the loosely running clock body from accidentally falling out owing to uneven raising or handling of the clock, a carrier, more or less embracing the clock, for the guiding means, or a suitably shaped bracket or block may be provided, in which the rollers or guiding means are so arranged that they engage in a sunken tooth channel of the clock body, so that the latter is either pushed in from the side, and is protected against falling off after the inserrollers, which may be removable or retractible. For the simplification of the manufacture the dial plate of the clock is so constructed that a flap or lug which is directed inwards from its part that is annular in shape for the transparency, and which may extend to the central axis, serves as a bearing or support for the change gear.

device according to the invention, as compared with known clocks in which the clock body is fixedly supported and has also been driven from outside, presents important advantages, because the adjusting of the dial train can be effected without actuating the actual drive, and the going train is free and independent of the driving mechanism, so that any repairs are considerably simplified. Furthermore the surprising result is also obtained that the actual clock body itself can be taken ofl" the stationary part of the clock as an independent piece and rotated and turned round without being done.

The shape of the loosely restin clock body is optional, but a spherical orm is preferably employed and the sphere is composed of two hemispherical casing members of transparent or partly transparent material, the closing member of which forms at the same time the driving ring and the guiding groove, the guiding means then being also adapted to the shape of the clock body which revolves loose upon the stationary casing.

One constructional example'of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is'a front view of the clock,

Figure 2 a section on the line II-II in Figure 3, t

Figure 3 a section on the line IIIIII in Figure 2,

Figure 4 a plan of the stationary casing,

Figure 5 a block or bracket for a modified support for the sphere, and

Figure 6 a modified dial plate.

Fig. 7 is a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 8 is another modified form.

The clock illustrated consists of a casing 2, which contains and conceals the driving mechanism, and a sphere 5, which/carries in its interior a dial plate 3 with a dial train 4 and the hour and minute hands. According to Figures 1 to 4 the sphere 5 rests freely upon two anti-friction rollers 7 in a cup 6 having the form of a segment of a sphere in the top of the casing. It consists of two hemispherical glass shells 5a and 5b, which, with their metallic marginal frames 8 and 9, one of which, namely 8, with an external screw thread 10, and a sunken ring of teeth 12, screws over the internal thread 11 of the other frame 9, or is connected with it in any other way. Upon the minute shaft 13 of the driving mechanism 1 is mounted a driving wheel 14 having the same diameter and the same number of teeth as the toothed ring 12, and engages through a slot 15 in the cup-shaped hollow 6 with the ring of teeth 12, so that the driving mechanism rotates the sphere directly.

any harm A pin 17 fixed in a transverse bar or bridge piece 16 of the frame 8 passes through the central aperture of the dial plate 3 and carries in. front the minute hand 18. The drive 19 fixed on to the pin 17 meshes through a change wheel 20 wlth the hour wheel 21, which runs loose upon the pin 17 and carries in front the hour hand 22. The dial plate 3 is loosely suspended with its central aperture and a rear bridge 23 over the sleeve of the hour wheel and the pin 17 respectively, and by means of the weight 24 is constantly so held that the number XII is always at the top, independently of the rotation of the sphere.

If the sphere 5a, 5b is rotatec it takes the minute hand 18 with it directly, and the drive 19, by means of the change gear, rotates the hour hand 22 at one-twelfth of the speed.

If the unintentional falling of the sphere 5 off the casing 2 is to be prevented, a small bracket or block 25 (Figure 5) is arranged upon the casing 2 and preferably extends somewhat beyond the centre of the sphere and carries at the upper free ends guiding rollers 26, which engage in the channel in which the ring of teeth 12 is located and are releasably or resiliently fitted for the introduction of the sphere. To simplify the manufacture of the clockthe dial plate 3 (Figure 6) is provided with a lugor flap 28 which extends right to about the centre and serves as a support for the dial 31 and the change-wheel gear.

Instead of the closure 8, 9 a bayonet joint or the like may be employed; and the sphere may be replaced by a differently shapedrevolving body, such for example as a cylindrical body, or a body in the shape of a condensing lens.

In an expansion at the bottom of the Y bracket 25 is inserted another intermediate wheel 27, which transmits the rotation of the wheel 14 to the ring of teeth 12, so that the entire driving mechanism ma be enclosed in the casing 2 in a dustproo manner and made invisible from the exterior.

Instead of supporting the sphere upon fixed rollers it is also possible, as shown in Figures 7 and 8,' to suspend it by the ring of teeth 12 in a chain 29, which according to Figure 7 is carried and driven by a driving wheel 30, which is fitted into the upper part 31 of the casing 2 and contains the driving mechanism 1. The driving wheel 30 carrying the chain 29 and the sphere or clock body '5 may however also be supported in a casing 32 (Figure 8) secured to the ceiling or elswhere and containing the driving mechanism, so that the clock body 5 is quite freely suspended. The going of the dial train in the clock body 5 is the same as in Figures 1 to 4.

What I claim is 1. A clock of theclass describedcomprising a casing, a motor driven toothed wheel therein, a transparent. sphere rotatively supported upon the casing and having a cumlar series of teeth carried thereby adapted to mesh with the teeth of the wheel, a dial rotatable with respect to the sphere, a dial train associatedwith the dial, an hour hand and minute hand connected with thedial train, said'sphere during rotation controlling the movement of said hands.

2. A clock of the class described comprising a casing, a motor driven toothed wheel in the casing, anti-friction rollers supported upon the casing, a transparent sphere sup ported upon the rollers, said sphere having a circular series of teeth carried thereby for mesh with the teeth of the wheel, a dial supported within the casing, means for maintaining the dial against rotation during rotation of the sphere, a dial train assoclated with the dial and rotatable with the sphere, an hour and minute hand connected with the dial train, the sphere during rotation controlling the movement of said hands.

3. A clock of the class described comprising a rotatively supported transparent sphere, a dial train within the sphere and rotatable therewith, a dial associated with the dial train and maintained in a nonrotatable position during rotation of the dial train and sphere, an hour hand and a minute hand connected with the dial train, and adapted to co-act with the dial during rotation of the sphere, and means for rotating the sphere.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

PAUL BAUMGARTEN. 

